George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

Director: Emile Ardolino
Actors: Macaulay Culkin, Darci Kistler, Bart Robinson Cook, Kyra Nichols, Jessica Lynn Cohen
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD

List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $8.18
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 67 reviews
Sales Rank: 11503

Format: Anamorphic, Classical, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: G (General Audience)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 2
Picture Format: Array
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.6 x 0.6

MPN: WARD13000D
ISBN: 6304698577
UPC: 085391300021
EAN: 9786306510481
ASIN: 6304698577

Theatrical Release Date: November 24, 1993
Release Date: November 19, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Item. CD, DVD, Book, VHS more than 400 000 titles to choose from. ALL days Low Price !
George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

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Customer Reviews

   Read 62 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars Baryshnikov version is much better    December 26, 2008
Dancing Cat (Providence, RI)
Very disappointing if you actually want to see some ballet dancing.
There is no real dancing for the first hour, just theater and kids running around. The battle with the mice is not very dramatic, and, because Macaulay Caulkin is playing the nutcracker prince, there's no
dancing there. The second act is better, as the various candies and
Darci Kistler are lovely. Caulkin is totally out of place and distracts. For a much better version, with lots of great ballet dancing and an absolutely fabulous battle scene with the mice, see the American Ballet Theater version with Baryishnikov and Gelsey Kirkland. Barynikov is out of this world as the nutcracker prince.


5 out of 5 stars Wonderful Production!    December 20, 2008
Elizabeth G. Stephens (Atlanta, Ga United States)
This is a wonderful version of the Nutcracker. It is especially helpful to those new to ballet because there is a narrator who explains the story. The dancing and costumes are beautiful! I would recommend this DVD to anyone who loves the ballet.


5 out of 5 stars A rare family event    December 2, 2008
Alice Gold
The Balanchine's Nutcracker is one of the most beloved Nutcracker Ballets
in The United States. Many ballet companies have different versions of the holiday story, but this ballet is a warm exciting evening for all, even those who are not big dance enthusiast. You may not be able to go to the State Theatre in New York City to see a performance, but even better if you have small children, what a way to spend an evening at home with them. The narration on this DVD,by Kevin Klein also makes this an enjoyable relaxing evening


5 out of 5 stars Best production of The Nutcracker    July 24, 2008
Mdm Chang Ee Mei (Singapore Singapore)
This is really the best production of this ballet that I've ever seen! The costumes, staging and ballet are first rate. Macaulay Culkin is adorable as the Nutcracker Prince. It's also nice that the characters Marie and the Prince are performed by children.People with kids who like coloring pictures will be pleased to find a coloring book that is based on this production. Get this DVD, even if you have other versions.Nutcracker Ballet Coloring Book (Dover Pictorial Archives)


5 out of 5 stars A common man's point of view.    July 20, 2008
Richard Rawls (Dublin Ga USA)

With over 60 reviews I doubt if this one is needed. It's too bad that some of the truely great ballets, like "Giselle" get so few reviews.

This is a well done ballet with some very good dancing even from the children. Macaulay Caulkin sometimes turns me off with that smirk of his, however. One can tell that these children are well trained, especially the Marie character.

The computer animation is also another turnoff as it lacks the spontaneity of a live performance with audience reaction. It goes down as a spectacle instead of a performance. Of course the music was delightful as usual, but the narration during the action is not needed and is detracting unless this is strictly for children, and they do not buy many ballet DVDs. If you are a parent or grandparent buy this for your children.